The present invention relates generally to medical care devices, and more particularly to devices for accurately and precisely dividing predetermined dosages of substantially solid medicines, whether in a tablet or capsule form.
Modern oral medicines come in a variety of forms depending on the desired effect, manufacturing abilities, shelf life, personal preference, and the like. Examples include tablets, capsules, liquids, gels, gums, and dissolving strips. Of these, tablets and capsules are the most widely accepted forms. Tablets may be defined as generally small, usually soluble masses of medicine, often held together with a binder. Capsules are similar, except capsule are usually substantially cylindrical shaped and comprise an outer coating or layer to hold the medication together.
Medications typically are produced in a limited number of concentrations or dosages. For example, a tablet may be produced in dosages of 150 and 250 mg active ingredient. Dosage variations for a particular medication may be driven by financial, manufacturing, and/or effectiveness considerations.
As medications are produced and delivered in predetermined dosages, patients may sometimes need to divide a medication into smaller portions in order to achieve a proper dosage as prescribed by a medical professional.
Further, some patients have difficulty swallowing larger tablets and capsules. Thus, some patients find it easier to divide a tablet or capsule medication into smaller, more easily swallowed portions, even where the full-sized tablet or capsule is the proper dosage for the patient.
The prior art is ripe with examples of various tablet dividers. However, a greater number of medications are being produced in capsule form. The tablet dividers of the prior art generally cannot consistently, properly, and accurately divide a medication in capsule form into smaller dosages.
Further, many more tablets are being produced with an outer shell which makes prior art medication dividers more difficult to use properly, as the outer shell may be difficult to pierce in order to divide the tablet as desired.
Thus, what is desired is a device for properly and accurately dividing tablet and capsule medications into small dosages.